Crash Into Me
by Shorthand
Summary: Kakashi is forced to train, protect, and share the same house with Konoha's most dangerous weapon. But what happens when that weapon is his thieving, mischievous, and ridicously mature-looking female student? KakashixOC
1. One Mistake

_**I thought the story was a bit lacking, so I went back and added the secret ingredient that spices up any plot - flashbacks! I was also attempting to squeeze a bit more character development in here. Hopefully it works the way I intended, but only you guys can tell. Tell me what you think! If the flashbacks really don't work, I'll take them out right away. ;)**_

_**Thanks again for the read, everybody! It really means a lot! **_

_**--All characters, exlcuding OC, belong to Masashi Kishimoto!**_

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**Chapter 1**

"THEIF!"

Kira leapt from rooftop to rooftop without even bothering to look behind her. She knew the two men on her tail. She had watched them all day, mingling around the rice stand, helping customers with purchases, counting change, and all the other petty chores that come with owning a food distribution business. It was at this time of the day – right around dusk, that the two men began to lose energy and pack up their unsold goods. Kira had assumed that they wouldn't bother to hunt down a young, teenage girl when they noticed one of their rice sacks had gone missing, but the hurried footsteps behind her hinted that her assumption was incorrect.

"Get back here, punk!"

Kira gulped when she realized the man's voice seemed a lot closer than before. They were bounding off roofs just as fast as she was, if not faster. They were full grown adults, of course, their legs much longer, their arms much stronger. Kira pulled the rice sack closer to her chest and pushed off the ground harder with her feet. She hadn't eaten in three days – she couldn't let them stop her. Not now.

"I said, GET BACK HERE!"

The voice and the footsteps were so close. They must've been right behind her.

_Just a quick glance_, She thought to herself_, Just to make sure…_

She peered over her shoulder, her long, ash-blonde hair whipping at her face in the wind. The two men were only a few feet behind her, close enough so she could see the beads of sweat forming on their furrowed brows. One mistake on her part and she's be at the mercy of their fists. Terrified, she pushed her foot down towards the ground, preparing to push off with all her energy.

_Just one mistake._

To Kira's surprised, there was no roof, or any type of solid ground at all for that matter, beneath her toes. She hadn't been paying attention to the direction she was headed, and had run right off the edge of the building. She used that one, airborne moment to pull the sack of rice closer to her chest and reflect on her sheer stupidity before plummeting into the alleyway below.

* * *

"_You'll never catch me, slowpoke!"_

_The little blonde haired girl laughed, clutching his brand new forehead protector to her chest. She thought the only reason she wanted it was because it was shiny and new, but now that she held the key to being a true ninja in her hands, she didn't want to let it go. But she was too young to understand. It meant more to him._

"_Wow, you're so fast," The 12-year-old chased after her. Had he been running at full speed, he would've gotten the headband back in a second, but he liked to go along with her nonsense. It was so much easier to understand than that of the other girls his age._

_The young Kira whipped her head around with the pretense that she was only checking if he was still behind her, but she didn't realize until later that she had really turned around just to see his smile._

_Suddenly, a root caught hold of her foot. She fell to the ground, landing softly in the grass, but before she had any time to recover, another body came crashing into her._

"_Watch where you're going, Scarecrow!"_

"_Hey! You're the one who tripped!"_

_But the words had no hint of bitterness behind them, in fact, the two couldn't seem to stop laughing. He wrestled her with the soft of his hands, then, when that didn't work, reached out to tickle her tummy. Within seconds, they were engaged in an all-out tickle war. Kira giggled hysterically, dropping the forehead protector in the process. But he didn't care anymore. Together, they rolled through the grass, fighting each other and laughing. _

_Kira had never seen him so happy in days._

* * *

"Hey Hikami, how about passin' another beer to me and my pal down here?" 

Genma slid several empty glasses out of his way to make room for the new drinks, but was too drunk to realize that he had just shoved all the dirty mugs in front of his companion. The silver-haired Jounin stared at the golden froth at the bottom of the glasses in front of him, trying to find self-restraint.

"No thanks," He tore his eyes from the enticing, golden liquid, "I'm meeting my new students tomorrow – wouldn't want to give them a bad impression."

"What's the matter? You don't want your students to know that their future sensei is a raging alcoholic?" Genma laughed a little too loudly

"Yeah, something like that," Kakashi stood up and dropped some change on the counter as the bartender slid two more beers in front of his elated friend. He sighed, "Are you going to be able to make it home, Genma?"

"I'm not going home tonight," Genma grinned and nodded to a red-haired woman clad in a tight vest and short skirt on the other side of the bar, "I've got a ride."

Kakashi looked from Genma to the red head. He suddenly wished he could stay to watch the drunken ANBU officer attempt to win over a full-grown woman, but then he remembered he had to deal with three headstrong and excessively ambitious teenage delinquents the next morning. He was going to need all the sleep he could get.

"See you around, then."

And without so much as a backward glance, the Copy-nin strode out the door and into the cool evening air.

* * *

_The girl lay on the grass, staring up at the clouds. The boy sat beside her, tossing his forehead protector up in the air and catching it._

"_Do you think I'll be a ninja like you someday?"_

_He stopped, letting the silver band dangle from his hands. He wasn't expecting that question._

"_I think you will."_

"_Are you just saying that because you're my friend?" She rolled over to face him, "Or do you really really think so?"_

"_It doesn't matter what I think," He looked down to see her confused expression, "Sensei told me that the best way to make your dream come true is to believe in yourself, to believe that you can do it."_

_Kira looked back at the sky, thinking about what he had said. Scarecrow was always right, even when he didn't make sense. She would always believe him._

_The boy stared at her intently, watching what was going through her head. He loved how she was so easy to read – it didn't leave room for any secrets. A cool evening breeze blew through and ruffled her golden hair. The surrounding trees were blocking his view of the sunset, but he was sure if he could see it, it would be no where near as beautiful as her._

_It was beginning to get dark, and Scarecrow would have to go home soon. Regardless of their exciting day, the boy couldn't help but notice that she seemed a bit unhappy. She always seemed to grow sad when thinking about the future. He had to cheer her up._

"_There is one way to test to see if you really are a ninja," Scarecrow was pleased to see Kira's face light up with interest._

"_Really? What is it? Can we try?" She was up in seconds, staring at him with wide eyes._

"_I don't know, it's pretty dangerous," He tried to hide a smirk. She was so much fun to toy with._

"_Aww, c'mon!" She was practically on her knees, "Please, please, please! Just one try!"_

"_Alright, alright," He tried to think of something - anything that would test her fighting skills. He may have excelled in ninjitsu, but he had never been quite good at improvisation._

_He fished around in his pocket, hoping beyond all hope that something would be in there for him to use. His hand wrapped around a cold, round piece of metal. He pulled it out and dangled it in front of her face. _

"_All you have to do is try and take this from me."_

"_A bell?"_

"_Yeah," He glanced at the bell in his hand, reminding himself to ask his mom how it had ended up in his pocket, then turned back to face the girl, "Think you can do it?"_

_The girl didn't answer. Instead, she ran straight for him, arms outstretched, hands reaching for the little silver bell._

_He grinned._

* * *

Somewhere, a door slammed. 

Kira awoke with a start, her fists held protectively in front of her face. From the darkened alleyway, she saw a tall, lanky figure emerge from a building and make its way across the street. She sighed, relieved at the fact that she wouldn't have to put up with another fight. The fall had left her unconscious, and had thankfully kept her unconscious as the men gave a few nasty bruises in exchange for the rice. Now she was not only starving, but also exhausted and badly injured.

Kira leaned up against the wall, wincing at what must have been a bruised shoulder-blade. In eight hours, she had to be ready to meet her new team. Tomorrow morning, some Jounin would either accept her as a student, or end her ninja career right there on the spot. The Jounin wouldn't care- hell, he wouldn't even _know_ that all hope for any improvements of her already pathetic life could end with his one little decision.

If she didn't make it past this training, she would be stuck in a life of thievery forever. Kira cringed at the thought of ending every day broken down in a dirty alleyway like this one. She couldn't let that happen – she _wouldn't_. But she needed energy to do that.

She needed food.

_The stranger._

Kira glanced at the front of the tavern. There he was, stretching in the cool evening air. He raised one hand to scratch his already disheveled hair, while using the other to fish for something in his pocket. He was obviously a guy - No female would take a bad hair day and make it _worse_.

Kira decided she would have to be quick. She didn't want to have to fist fight any full grown men again. This guy had just come out of a bar, so there was a chance he could be intoxicated. Besides, it was getting dark and…

He pulled out a book, flipped to the first page, and held it right up in front of his face.

_Bingo._

This guy was just asking for it. Kira brought herself to her feet, flexed her limbs to make sure they were still working, then bolted forward.

The streetlight flickered on just as Kakashi strolled by. He paused for a moment, using the pale phosphorescence to illuminate his favorite page.

"_I want you," He hissed into her ear, moving his hands farther down her back._

_She pushed herself onto him, moving her face towards his. She parted her lips right beside his ear, then whispered ever so softly-_

"LEAVE ME ALONE!"

Kakashi turned to see a young woman, who seemed to be shouting threats at the vacant darkness behind her, running straight at him. He raised an eyebrow.

It was a blonde.

_I'm completely sober_, thought the soon-to-be-sensei in those precious seconds before the collision, _There's no reason why I should be standing here, waiting for an attractive young woman to-_

Perhaps it was the uncontrollable influence of male hormones, or maybe the fact that he had just been immersed in his favorite book, but for some reason, Hatake Kakashi, the Great Copy-Nin of Konoha, had put too much thought into those fateful seconds before the crash and failed had failed to dodge the incoming young blonde. He remained completely motionless as her body slammed into his, her golden hair sprawling across his Jounin vest in all directions.

He tried not to think about how coincidently close this situation was to the situation on his favorite page of the book.

Then something brushed by his pocket.

Kira glanced up at the silver-haired man before her, not meeting his eyes.

"Sorry," She gasping, pushing herself away from him while subtly slipping his wallet up her shirt, "That man -he's chasing me!"

Kakashi didn't even have to glance in the direction she was pointing. He knew no one was there.

Kira moved around the stranger instantly, aiming herself for the darkest corner of the street.

"Watch out – he's coming this way!"

And with that, she took off.

Well, at least, she _thought_ she took off.

At first, everything had gone according to plan. His wallet was hers, safely tucked away in a fold of her shirt, and she had a broad expanse of open road ahead of her. The odd thing was- she wasn't moving. She could feel her feet moving, but when she looked down, the ground beneath her remained perfectly still. Come to think of it, her feet weren't touching the ground at all.

Kira frowned, baffled by her sudden levitation expertise, then gulped when she realized she wasn't floating.

Kakashi held the collar of her shirt with one hand while keeping Ichi Ichi Paradise at a visible distance with the other. The blonde was surprisingly light, and he watched with obscure delight as her little feet tried to find the pavement. He eyed the prominent, wallet-shaped bulge protruding from the side of the young woman's shirt and sighed.

"Would you mind returning that?"

Kira tried to tug her collar out of his grip, but only ended up choking herself in the process. He lowered her to the ground so she could answer, still keeping his fist locked on the thin fabric.

"I don't know what you're talking about," She hissed, trying to pull away.

Suddenly, Kira felt the cold, sharp edge of a kunai pressing up against the skin on her neck. She shivered.

"You sure about that?" The man replied calmly. His body had shifted position so quickly she hadn't even noticed it. He was obviously not just any ordinary ninja.

_Why do I always pick the dangerous ones?_

Kira sighed; frustrated that once again she was now at the mercy of her own victim. She shrugged the wallet from her shirt, letting it hit the paved sidewalk with a low thud. The kunai was removed from her neck immediately.

She was free.

Kira glanced at the empty road in front of her as the stranger bent down to pick up his wallet. This was her chance. She had failed in her mission, but this was a failure without injury. This was a sign from the spirits of long past Hokages, begging her to take what might just be her only safe escape. She couldn't let this opportunity pass her by.

But she did.

Kira had heard the phrase 'curiosity killed the cat' so many times before she was sure it had taken a negative toll on her health, but there was something about this man that she just had to know. She had never seen such a powerful, but merciful ninja in Konoha. Why was he letting her go so easily?

Kira turned to face him.

Kakashi grudgingly tucked Ichi Ichi Paradise under his shoulder as he stuffed the wallet back into his pocket. He could feel the woman staring at him, looking at him as if he were some sort of apparition.

He turned to face her, then blinked to make sure what he was seeing was real. His eyes went wide with fear. He could tell by her face that she wasn't a woman, although his misidentification was easily understandable, considering the mature features of her body. The slightly oversized Konoha forehead protector pulling back her bangs indicated that she wasn't an enemy either, or a decent ninja. But at that moment, Kakashi would've given anything for this stranger to be a beautiful, older woman or even a powerful adversary. But, of course, the only instance in his life where he had failed to avoid collision, the world had given him his worst fear to crash into.

_She's a…teenager…_

Kira took one look at the man standing over her and almost gasped. It was _him_. Hatake Kakashi. The mysterious copy-nin who had mastered thousands upon thousands of moves. In the dim streetlight, she recognized the Konoha headband resting over his sharingan and that infamous face mask he never removed. Of all the people in the world to steal, she just had to choose _him_.

For a moment, the two just stared at each other, dumbfounded. Kakashi was trying to comprehend how, in his completely sober state, he had mistaken a girl who had probably just graduated the academy, for a full grown woman, while Kira tried to fathom all the grim consequences that would result from trying to rob a former ANBU officer.

Then, somehow in that prolonged, perplexed silence, Kira's eyes drifted to the empty expanse of road behind the silver-haired copy-nin. This time, she had no second thoughts. She bolted down the street and didn't stop running until she had reached a dark alleyway on the outskirts of town. She sat in silence for hours, listening for footsteps of any sort, until she was sure that Kakashi hadn't followed her. Then, with a sigh of relief, Kira lay her bruised body down on the familiar cold ground and closed her eyes.

* * *

_A shout echoed across the field, beckoning the little Scarecrow and the future ninja to come back to reality. _

"_That's my mom," He stood up and suddenly realized how dark it was. He couldn't even see the little blonde that he had been wrestling for hours, but that familiar scent of rosemary tickled his nose – a constant reminder that she was there._

_It was so dark that Kira could just make out the faint outline of Scarecrow's funny-looking hair. She couldn't tell if he was happy that she had won, or that he was disappointed that it was time for him to go home, but she knew one thing for sure – the bell was hers. The future was hers._

"_Will you be here tomorrow?" She had no reason to mask the hope in her voice._

"_No," He looked down at the ground, although there wasn't much to see in the dark, "Sensei wants to take us on our first mission tomorrow – I have to be ready."_

_She was silent. Even though he couldn't see her face, he knew that treasured smile she had worn all day was beginning to curve in the opposite direction._

_The voice called again. As much as he would like to, he couldn't stay for ever. Neither could she._

_He turned to leave, then suddenly remembered something, "Kira, do you have a place to sleep tonight?"_

"_Yeah," She paused to put the bell in her pocket, "I'll just go to the clubhouse."_

"_But there aren't any blankets in there." He pictured the interior of the small, tacky clubhouse on the outskirts of town that they had built when they were younger. It was merely a wooden box that had served as a headquarters when they played pretend ANBU officers._

"_It won't be cold tonight." She smiled, even though she knew he couldn't see it, "You better hurry before your mom gets mad."_

"_Yeah."_

"_Yeah."_

_And with that, she was gone._


	2. Sensei?

**Chapter 2**

That night could easily be considered one of the darkest nights in the history of Konoha. The moon had fallen back behind the trees, removing all illumination whatsoever. The once bustling streets were now motionless, reducing the busy city to that of a ghost town. The Ninja training academy, which was usually ringing with children's laugher, featured an unnatural stillness as it loomed quietly over the town center. The school was completely deserted, each benighted window peering into a vacant classroom. It was the week after graduation, and everyone had left to take advantage of the vacation.

Everyone, except the tall, cloaked figure making his way up the steps of the academy.

_Lovely night for a crime._

The nin smirked beneath his mask, remarking on his luck as he removed a silvery key from his robes. He took a moment to admire the shiny treasure he had stolen not so long ago, then shoved it into the main door of the academy. With one satisfying 'click' he unlocked the door and slipped inside the abandoned school.

The hallways were drenched in shadows, making it easy for the intruder to move towards his target unseen. He made his way to the end of the hall and down a set of stairs to the basement. It was darker down there, and almost impossible to see anything, but the stranger had reviewed the blueprint of the school thousands of times before his mission and found the door without a problem.

_This is too easy_.

He thought to himself as he successfully unlocked the next door and stepped into the room which was supposedly protected by the 'tightest security' in the school. Of course, the security factor was understandable – this was the Student Records room.

Without wasting any time, the cloaked stranger formed the symbols for a weak jutso. The jutso formed a small ball of light in his hand that just barely provided enough light for him to see in the darkness. The famed Student Records room was no different than any ordinary room, save for the rows upon rows of yellow filing cabinets lining the walls.

The man held his hand up to the cabinets so he could read the large letters imprinted on the front. He moved down the rows, scanning each drawer.

_J…K…L…M…_

He held his hand closer to the last drawer in the row, a crooked grin spreading across his face.

He carefully slid open the cabinet, making sure it didn't squeak, then flipped through the hundreds of student files before him…

_Minochi…Mitzu…Miyita…_

…until he found exactly what he was looking for.

_Miyoko._

In one swift motion, he pulled out a thick, manila file from the cabinet and tucked it under his cloak. Then, carefully making sure the remaining files appeared untouched, he closed the cabinet and slipped out the door.

He removed the glowing jutso as soon as he was out, making himself a shadow in the streets once again. He hoisted himself on top of a nearby rice stand and bounded over the tops of buildings, moving swiftly and silently towards the edge of town. The moon was beginning to draw back over the horizon, and hints of pink from the early morning sunrise began to creep across the hills. The silent nin picked up his speed. He was going to be late.

He made it to the edge of Konoha forest just before the first song birds began their wakeup call. His master was waiting for him.

"Sorry I'm late," He huffed, trying to make himself appear presentable. The man stared right through him. His shoulder-length raven hair cast a shadow over the features of his face, while his body remained hidden in an enormous black and red robe.

"Do you have the file?"

"Of course, of course," He reached into his cloak and pulled out the stolen information, "Like taking candy from a baby."

Before he had even completely removed the folder, his master snatched it from his hands. He scanned the contents quickly, pausing to read a specific paper in the faint morning light.

**Postgraduate Training Schedule for **_Kira Miyoko_

Sensei: Hatake Kakashi

Team Members: Uchiha Sasuke, Uzumaki Naruto

Team Number: 7

**Schedule:**

**Designated Training Area:** Northern Forest of Konoha

**Training Hours:** 10:00am to 3:00pm

**Training Days:** Monday – Friday

_The following information has been determined by a special board of the Hokage and the student's designated sensei. For schedule adjustment appointment, please see designated sensei._

"I still don't see why you wanted Kira's papers so badly," The man moved into the darker stretches of the forest as the sun began to rise, "I've been watching her for a few weeks now – she's always alone. We could've just kidnapped her in the village." 

"She's protected by unseen forces," He paused, "_Powerful_ unseen forces."

"So? We already know everything about this kid," He glanced at the folder, "How is finding out where her sensei plans to train her going to make our job any easier?"

"You didn't let me finish," His master closed the folder abruptly and folded it within his own robes, "She's only protected _inside_ Konoha village."

* * *

For reasons unknown, Kira had a strange feeling that today was going to be different. Now that she had successfully graduated from the academy, something out of the ordinary was going to happen, and it was going to be something good. 

But all thoughts of said day vanished when she stumbled into her old classroom only to be greeted by her former teacher's favorite line.

"You're late."

Kira rubbed the sleep out of her eyes until the figure standing before her came into clear focus. Although she was elate with her sense of graduation, she couldn't help but feel a slight hint of disappointment when she realized the man, or _young_ man, now that she noticed it, wasn't Iruka Sensei. If anything, he seemed to be Iruka's complete opposite. He looked like a ghost. His jet black hair was strewn across his face in a variety of angles while his eyes, clouded and downcast, were burning a hole in the floor beneath his feet. But regardless of his angst-ridden aura, his two arms were casually folded across his chest.

There was only one person in Konoha that knew how to combine just the right amount of inner-turmoil and nonchalance to make it sexy.

_Uchiha Sasuke._

"KIRA-CHAN!"

Before she even had time to turn, something hit her hard in the back and two arms covered by bright orange sleeves wrapped around her stomach. She was pulled into a tight embrace, which she could've easily dubbed 'The Death Lock of Doom' had it come from a stranger. Although Kira couldn't see her attacker, she recognized the fuzzy jumpsuit and familiar smell of ramen breath immediately.

"Hey, Naruto."

"Kira! Can you believe it?! We're on the same team!"

Kira grinned. The rambunctious ramen-lover and her had been best friends ever since their first year at The Ninja Academy. The two were thick as thieves, pun intended. Like Kira, Naruto had also grown up alone, without parents or without a permanent home. They even had the same ridiculously lofty aspirations and loved those salty noodles to the point where they would probably die of heart attacks at the age of thirty.

Kira pushed herself out of his grip to get a good look at him. Although it had only been a few weeks since their graduation, Kira felt that Naruto might look different now that he was an aspiring Genin. He hadn't changed much since their last encounter. His cheeks were still accented by those whisker-like scars, and that infamous crooked grin he was currently aiming straight at her still managed to take up his entire face. The only difference was that the poorly maintained blonde patch of hair on his head was now restrained by a Konoha forehead protector, which he seemed to wear with great pride.

"Where've you been? I haven't seen you since our last day at the academy!"

"I've been…" Kira hesitated, looking at the floor, "…Around."

Kira knew he was just trying to be polite, but she wished with all her heart that he had not asked that question. Naruto was the only one in the village who had some identifiable form of respect for her - she couldn't let Mr. Hero here know that she had resorted to thievery.

Naruto was about to open his big-mouth again, but Kira stopped him just in time.

"What've you been up to?"

"Well," The aspiring Hokage took a deep breath, "I've been training everyday for hours, and now I've figured out how to mold my chakra to make my feet stick to the ceiling! It only works sometimes, though. Umm…Hmm…What else…," He stroked his chin and twisted his face as if the excess thinking was painful.

"Oh!" His face lit up, "Konohamaru gave me some free ramen tickets for drawing a mustache on Iruka Sensei's face when he was sleeping! I've got two if you wanna join me sometime! Oh! And guess what? I figured out that you can actually cut cheese with these Konoha forehead protectors! Did you know it's really not a good idea to use the replication technique on squirrels?"  
The loud ninja's ramble of little adventures was reduced to low background hum as Kira's mind traveled elsewhere. The old Naruto was back, and thankfully, he was so wrapped up in his own little discussion that all his suspicions concerning Kira's 'after-school activives' were long lost in his swirl of reminisce.

"…And after a lot of work on my sexy-no-jutso, I was able to sneak into the girl's locker room at the spa! And they fell for it! Well…for a couple minutes…"

Kira couldn't believe how lucky she was that her only friend had made it on to her team. Maybe things were looking up for her.

"... My sexy-no-jutso has really improved! In fact, I bet it's better than yours!"

_Better than yours…Better than yours…Better than yours…_

Kira snapped back to attention. She could've sworn she heard Naruto call a bet, "What did you say?"

"I said, my sexy-no-jutso is much _better than yours_." Naruto grinned, placing an plain emphasis on the last three words. The bait was perfect- he already had a nibble, now all he had to do was reel her in.

"Oh really?" Kira flashed a quick smile, "How much you wanna bet?"

_Gotcha._

"Loser owes the winner a ramen dinner."

"An entire dinner?!" Kira bit her lip. If she lost, she wouldn't be able to afford it.

"If it's too much for you, you're welcome to back out right now," Naruto stretched his limbs and yawned, trying to appear cool and casual. His façade failed miserably.

"Your sexy-no-jutso's got nothing on me," She hissed, then clamped her palms together. Naruto grinned and faced her, prepared for the ninjutsu.

* * *

Kakashi stood facing the most sinister, menacing building in the entire Konoha Leaf Village – The Ninja Academy. He had made sure to avoid the school ever since that one fateful day where Iruka had run into him on the street and asked him to watch the young fiends (or 'children,' as he called them) while he rushed one of his injured students to the hospital. 

For reasons Kakashi still couldn't fathom, he accepted Iruka's mission, only to find it was harder than any Level A he had ever encountered. He had tried to remove all memories of the incident from his mind, but the event was so traumatizing it was impossible to forget. For when Iruka returned to his classroom, he found the Hatake Kakashi, the great Copy-Nin, clad in his usual Jounin greens and a pink apron decorated with frills and flowers. Several young girls were at his side, decorating his silver hair with braids and blue ribbons, while another group of girls cordially forced him to take part in a sophisticated tea party with Mr. Muffins the stuffed penguin.

Kakashi shuddered at the reminiscence and tried to focus on the task at hand. Today was the day he was meeting his potential Genin, and, dare he consider it, his potential students. He entered the building, relieved that the school was practically empty, and made his way toward the 'Student Records' room. Every Jounin in the village had already viewed their students' permanent records on the day they had been assigned, but Kakashi always approached his tasks with a usual delay (or 'keeping it a surprise,' as he called it). He walked down the steps to the school basement, his feet echoing down the long empty hallway, until finally he came upon the door.

He stuffed his hand into his pocket to pull out the key, but oddly enough, the door was already open. Kakashi raised an eyebrow – permanent records not only contained academic information, but they also contained a lot of personal data regarding the students, and it was a high risk security factor to leave the door unlocked. Kakashi paused for a moment, searching the building for any sort of 'out of the ordinary' presence, but nothing was there. He was entirely alone.

_Last person out must've forgotten to lock the door…_

He shrugged and stepped inside, still keeping a wary eye. The records room looked as normal and untouched as usual – just walls upon walls of yellow filing cabinets. Kakashi took a moment to silently thank the creator of the alphabetizing system before reaching his hand into his pocket and pulling out a crumpled piece of paper. He unrolled the wrinkled mass and read the smudged black ink.

**Assigned Genin for** _Hatake Kakashi Sensei_

- Uzumaki Naruto, Age: 16, Rank: Mediocre Genin

- Uchiha Sasuke, Age: 16, Rank: Superior Genin

- Miyoko, Kira, Age: 16, Rank: Mediocre Genin

_More information is available on the above students in the Academy Student Records room. Please consult your local the Konoha Team Organizer for more information._

Kakashi headed over to the 'U' cabinet and shuffled through several manila folders until he located his target all the way at the back of the drawer. The Uzumaki's folder was notably thinner than the others, which Kakashi officially approved of because it meant less paperwork. He skimmed through the few files, scanning each page for important information. 

_Poor grades…Several offences for defacing school property…Determined, but easy distracted… unknowingly hosts the soul of the nine-tails demon fox within his body…_

Kakashi glanced at the last sentence to make sure he had read it correctly, then, tucking the folder under arm, cautiously flipped to the front of the 'U' cabinet. After seeing Naruto's info, he wasn't exactly looking forward to the next record.

_Uchiha Sasuke…Above-average grades…Exceeding combat abilities…Quiet, but strong…Independent…Possess hereditary Sharingan of Uchiha Clan…Vengeful…_

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. He had heard of the Uchiha Clan before, but had assumed they had been wiped out years ago. It would be interesting to see the abilities of this long lost survivor.

With two folders tucked under one arm and mixed feelings about his last student, Kakashi pulled open the 'M' cabinet and peered inside.

_Minochi…Mitzu…Miyita…_

But to the copy-nin's great dismay, nothing was there. He took another look at the name to make sure he had spelled it right then flipped through the folders again, but the student's file seemed to be missing. He checked once more before slamming the cabinet shut with defeat.

As Kakashi left the room, paying careful attention to lock the door behind him, he couldn't help wonder if the previously unsecured room was in someway connected to the missing file. Deep down, he believed it was all a mere coincidence, but right now he wanted someone to blame for the fact that now he would now be forced to ask a young self-infatuated, love-obsessed, hormone-driven teenage girl the most dangerous question to ask the average adolescent female: What are you like?

* * *

"Mine's better!" 

"No, mine is!"

"How would you know, you're a girl!"

"Fine then," Kira glared, although it played out as more of a playful frown on her new smooth, flawless face, "Sasuke, whose jutso is sexier?"

The self-controlled, self-centered Sasuke was biting his lip, trying hard to keep back a fit of laughter, or maybe a trail of drool. It was hard to tell.

"He's looking at mine! He likes mine better!" The real Naruto's voice would've sounded whiney, but his sexy-no-jutso female voice was as sweet as honey. Poor Sasuke looked like he was about to explode as his eyes continuously ran over the two young, beautiful, and barely clothed female blondes standing before him.

Kira glanced at Sasuke, then quickly hoisted herself up on the desk next to him. She dangled her long, smooth legs beside his hand and leaned her head on his shoulder.

"Who were you looking at again, Sasuke?"

Suddenly, the door slid open. The three little nin jumped, so encompassed in their own little game that they had forgotten they had been waiting in this room to meet their sensei. Naruto changed back to his normal form so quickly one would almost say it was instinctive. Kira, on the other hand, took one look at the incoming patch of silver-white hair, and froze.

At the academy, Kira had learned that first impressions were always important, not only to ninjas, but also to the everyday person. First meetings should usually involve proper introductions, small, but enlightening conversation, and should always be executed in a well-bred, _modest _manner.

Kira couldn't remember the last time she had made a good impression.

And of course, out of all the sensei in Konoha village, Kira just had to be assigned to the one she had just attempted to mug last night.

Hatake Kakashi.

Hatake Kakashi _Sensei_.

* * *

So sorry this took so long! Thanks for the read, though! I appreciate it! 


	3. First Impressions

**Chapter 3**

Kakashi slid open the door, his eyes first landing on a blonde haired boy clad in a ridiculous orange jumpsuit. The next trouble maker was leaning up against the side of the desk, his arms crossed over his chest and his black hair blocking his eyes, but before he could correctly identify the Uchiha boy, the girl behind him caught his eye.

At this moment, Kira had two options. Number one: stay in sexy-jutsu form and remain slightly unrecognizable to her dumbstruck teacher or number two: she could change back to her thieving, evil self. Naruto had already changed back before their new sensei had time to notice. Now she was the only half-dressed female left in the room.

_Damn those first impressions…_

There were several things Kakashi had been suspecting when he had opened the door, and, being the possessor of a sharingan, he could usually foresee almost anything. But this was just completely uncalled for.

Behind the Uchiha kid stood one of the most attractive young women he had ever seen. Her silvery blonde hair was waste length, floating around her body like a burst of light. Her flawless, porcelain skin contrasted beautifully against her deep blue eyes and soft pink lips. Her outfit (or, lack there of) was dangerously low cut, enticing the great copy-nin to look further below her smooth neck, below her exquisite collar bone, until his eyes had focused on her-

"Hey mister, are you our Sensei?"

Kakashi snapped to attention, quickly recovering from the trance with his usual façade of nonchalance. He pried his eyes away from the beauty and forced them on orange-jumpsuit boy. He pulled the crumpled paper from his pocket and tried to match name with face.

"Depends," Answering to the title of 'sensei' was weird already, "Are you Uzumaki Naruto?"

"You got that right!"

_Woah. Enthusiasm. _

He nodded towards the dark-haired boy.

"Uchiha Sasuke?"

"Yeah."

But Kakashi wasn't really listening to the legendary clan member in front of him. Miss sexy-no-jutsu had transformed back, although he couldn't say he was entirely relieved to see the girl behind the mask.

"You must be…," _The notorious blonde, no-folder, thief girl, who doesn't look a day over 18_, "…Kira."

Kira nodded slightly, keeping her eyes locked on the floor and tried to let her hair fall around her face. Last night, the streets were pretty dark. He couldn't possibly recognize her. But just in case…

"So I guess I am your sensei after all," Kakashi stuffed the paper in his back pocket then moved to the front of the classroom. He picked up a piece of chalk from the desk and began scratching his name across the blackboard.

"Ha-tuh-key kaa-kuh-shee," Naruto twisted his brow, trying to pronounce the mysterious chalk phrase, "What's that? Some type of nin-jutsu?"

"Hatake Kakashi," He whipped the chalk off his hands, "It's my name."

He leaned against the edge of the teacher's desk, arms folded over his chest, "So, as your new sensei, it's only natural that I get to know you three," He eyed the Genin in front of him, "Introductions – who wants to go first?"

"What do we have to do?" Naruto looked eager, but slightly confused. Kakashi could already tell this was going to be a long year.

"Tell me what you like, what you hate, your hobbies, yours dreams - anything relevant."

The room was quiet for a moment. Then Naruto spoke up again.

"Why don't you go first, sensei?"

Kakashi sighed. That was the question he was hoping to avoid.

"There's not much to say. I like reading and I hate teaching," He glanced at Kira who had still failed to make eye contact with him, "I also believe the sexy-no-jutsu should be forbidden to all ninja under the age of 18 and I do not appreciate being mugged."

Kira flinched.

"Huh?" Naruto raised an eyebrow, "I thought you said only relevant stuff."

"I did," He continued to stare Kira down, letting the silence hang for a moment until he was satisfied with the ever-reddening hue of her face, then shifted his gaze toward orange-jumpsuit boy, "Your turn."

"My name's Naruto!" He jumped from the desk to strike a pose for his introduction, "I love ramen, all kinds of ramen, especially instant cup ramen! My favorite kind of ramen is the chicken flavored ramen at the noodle shop, but I hate the 3 minutes you have to wait after you pour the hot water in the ramen cup. My hobby is eating different kinds of ramen and comparing them and my future dream is to become the greatest Hokage Konoha has ever seen! "

Kakashi blinked, "Next."

Since Kira was still too stunned to answer, Sasuke took over.

"I'm Sasuke, Uchiha Sasuke," He crossed his arms over his chest, "There's not much I like, as for what I hate…" He paused, "I hate…a certain man. And my dream is to kill him one day."

So his team was made up of a ramen-aholic, a serial killer, and a…

"Kira?"

She had to speak. She was the last one left in line. There was no use hiding anymore, Kakashi had already recognized her. She opened her mouth to speak, all the while hoping that they could somehow start from new, or that he was at least done reprimanding her for the incident last night.

"I'm Kira," She stopped, unsure of what to say next. Naruto shifted uncomfortably in the silence, but Kakashi only continued to stare at her. She couldn't keep up this shy-girl attitude forever, this wasn't her. If she was going to be stuck with this guy for the next couple years, she might as well come clean now and get it over with.

"I'm Miyoko Kira," She repeated, with a stronger voice this time, "I like to do things on my own. I hate anyone who tries to infiltrate Konoha and my dream is to be a well respected and well paid ninja."

"Very well. You're quite an ambitious bunch," _No surprise there._ Kakashi stood up and strolled to the door, "Let's see if you really have what it takes to achieve those dreams of yours."

He slide open the door and beckoned the three fresh Genin to follow. They looked at him, slightly confused.

"Aren't we supposed to be tested inside the classrooms?" Naruto jabbed his thumb towards the front of the room, "That's where Iruka-sensei had us take the graduation exam."

"My test is bit different. This is more of a…" He stroked his masked chin, searching for a word that would be specific enough to convince them to leave, but vague enough to pique their interest, "This is a survival test."

And with that, he walked out the door.

* * *

"What's on your mind, Iruka? You haven't even touched your tea." 

Iruka stared at the clear, dark brown liquid in the cup in front of him. In the invitation to Sandaime, the academy-teacher claimed that he just wanted to visit and chat, but it wasn't until now that he realized the unlikelihood of deceiving the Third Hokage.

"Sandaime, I asked you here because…I…" He stirred his tea nervously, "Well, to completely honest, I'm not comfortable with your decision to place Kira in a squad, or Kakashi's squad, for that matter."

The old Hokage chuckled, throwing Iruka off-guard.

"Sandaime, this is serious!" He stood up abruptly, his chair scratching against the wooden floor, "As far as I know, you and I are the only nin in Konoha who know about Kira's-

Iruka caught himself before it was too late, then glanced around the room to make sure no one was listening. Sighing, he sat back down in his chair.

"I'm sorry, sir, it's just that…well…I thought the plan was to maintain Kira's low profile, to keep her from advancing. Now that she's been accepted into a squad, there's a chance she might pass as a qualified Genin. The missions she'll be undertaking will give her publicity, the very thing we've been trying to avoid. Besides," He shook his head at the thought of the Copy-nin babysitting his academy students, "Kakashi isn't very good with kids."

"I understand where you're coming from, Iruka. I know this is a sensitive case, but you have no need to worry, I've taken everything into careful consideration," The great Hokage took a sip of his tea before continuing, "Miss Miyoko, like any ordinary human being, deserves a chance to pursue happiness. She deserves the chance to lead a normal life."

"I know, I know, and I wish more than anything that she could claim such a life. But I'm also concerned about her welfare, and the welfare of our entire village, for that matter. She isn't just any ordinary person."

"Which is exactly why I gave Kakashi the task of training her," Sandaime pulled a small, blue-green book out from his robes and placed it in front of the anxious academy-teacher.

Iruka eyed the title, "Kakashi's training records?"

"Yes," Sandaime leaned back in his chair, "Within those pages are all the trainees that have ever been assigned to Hatake Kakashi, including those who passed and failed his Genin qualifying test."

"May I?" With the Hokage's signal of approval, Iruka picked up the book and flipped through it, his eyes growing wider with each turn of the page.

"This is…impossible," He looked the words closely to make sure he was reading them correctly, "Kakashi has never passed a single student."

* * *

"_We're gonna be ninja, we're gonna be ninja!_" 

Kakashi walked a few feet ahead of his students, hoping that the distance would soften the blow of Naruto's singing on his eardrums. His methods worked to no avail.

"Kira! Sasuke! Can you believe it? We're finally gonna be ninja!"

Sasuke was too busy pretending he wasn't affiliated with the loud nin bounding around in a orange-jumpsuit, but Kira managed an uneasy smile. Any other day, she would've been as ecstatic (or perhaps neurotic) as him, but this time her chance of failure greatly outweighed her chance of success. This test was Kira's only opportunity to free herself from the dregs of life. One mistake and her ninja career was over.

_One mistake…_

"What's the matter, Kira-chan?" Naruto put a stop to his torturous chanting, "You nervous?"

"Me? Nervous?" Kira took a moment to consider the wide array of factors working against her.

_Let's see…No sleep, no food, no energy, and a teacher that sees me as the paradigm of all evil._

Perhaps she wasn't in the best condition to take what could easily be the most important test of her life, but she had to try.

"Well, are you?"

Kira grinned, "You wish."

Naruto slapped her on the back, "There's the Kira I know! Now all you have to do is learn the song!"

The blonde Genin opened his mouth, preparing to spill out that horrendous voice of his. Sasuke and Kakashi simultaneously turned to shoot Kira with a 'Stop him now and I'll spare both your lives' glare, but she was too concerned with the safety of her own sense of hearing to notice their warning. Naruto's mouth opened wider. Kira's eyes went wide with horror.

_No…No…Please, no…_

Suddenly, a strong hand seized her wrist, pulling her away from her squad. Kira tried to shake off her captor, but he held her firmly.

"Missy, how many times have I told you? You ain't permitted to go behind this here point."

The young nin didn't even have to turn, a mere look at her surroundings and she knew who it was. She had been so immersed in worrying that she hadn't realized her new sensei had led them right through the gates of Konoha village. Naruto, Sasuke, and Kakashi had passed by the guards without a problem, but karma wasn't through with Kira yet.

"Excuse me, sir, is there a problem?" The guard released Kira immediately at the sound of Kakashi's voice, but he still refused to give up without a fight.

"Actually, there is," The guard straightened himself and puffed out his chest, but it was difficult to appear eminent next to the Great copy-nin, "This young lady ain't allowed outta Konoha village. Never has been and never will be. And she knows it."

Kira opened her mouth to protest, but Kakashi placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Go ahead. I'll take care of this."

* * *

"So you gave him the task of testing Kira because you knew it would be impossible for her to pass?" Iruka felt bad for plotting against one of his favorite former students, but he knew it was for her own good, "That's why you're so at ease with this whole situation." 

"Yes," The wise Hokage folded the book back within his robes, "If we had removed her from the training program early on, she would've noticed we were treating her differently than the other students. But now that she has been given the same opportunities as other students, she'll have no reason to believe she's different from them," He grinned, "Right now, she thinks her life is normal. Luckless, but still normal."

Iruka shrank back into his chair with relief, finally feeling comfortable enough to enjoy his first sip of tea.

It was cold.

"What about Kakashi? Did you tell him about Kira's…unique trait?"

The old man shook his head, "If I told him ahead of time, he would've filed for a student change, so I thought it was better if he found out on his own. He'll be reviewing his students' records today, I'm sure he'll understand once he views her file."

After much deliberating, negotiating, and the occasional threat or two, Kakashi was finally able to convince the stubborn guard to let Kira pass through. He hadn't used all that energy for nothing, though, and he was determined to find out why this girl was three times the trouble he had anticipated.

Kakashi saw the perfect opportunity halfway through their journey. They had just made it few miles away from the village gates and Naruto and Sasuke had become fully engaged in what might've been the fifth 'You're a loser!' fight today, leaving little miss sexy-no-jutsu alone and open for questioning.

"What did you call me?!"

"A loser! Now shut up so we can get on with the mission!"

"I am NOT a loser! I'm going to be the Hokage someday!"

"Oh yeah?"

"YEAH!"

Kira stared at the ground passing under her feet, completely oblivious to the insults echoing from either side of her. She still couldn't believe she was finally outside, free of the dirty Konoha streets and out in nature's open air. She had never been allowed to go this far outside of the city before and she needed to savor the moment. But it was a bit hard to sit back, relax, and appreciate the surrounding beauty when every step she took was a step closer to her imminent doom.

"Have you neglected to tell me something about yourself, Miss Miyoko?"

Kira jumped, her head snapping immediately to the sound of the voice. Somehow, Kakashi had moved from the front of the line to her side without her even noticing.

"It seems to me you've been causing a lot of trouble lately," Kakashi adjusted the backpack on his shoulders as he walked, "I have no desire to intrude on your personal life, but as your new sensei, I believe I have a right to know what I'm dealing with."

The young blonde was completely silent.

Kakashi sighed, "Could you just tell me why that guard wouldn't let you through?"

Kira shrugged, "To be completely honest, I have absolutely no idea."

She already knew how he was going to respond, but it was the best answer she could give. It _was _the truth.

Now all she had to do was wait for what she was asking for.

_1…2…_

"I'm sorry, but that's hard to believe coming from the person who just tried to mug me the other day."

…_3_

That was it. He was never going to let her live it down. But Kira, of course, being the nimble-minded fiend that she was, knew exactly how to fight back.

"It's also hard to believe that the Great Copy-nin is an easier target than a five-year-old when he's reading Ichi Ichi Paradise."

"Touché, Miss Miyoko, touché," Kakashi's visible eye creased at the corners, indicating there was some sort of grin under the mask, "I guess I'll just have to accept that you're completely clueless, then."

"I guess so," Kira raised her chin triumphantly, then suddenly caught the pun, "Hey! Wait a sec-

"Ah! Here we are!" Kakashi slipped off his backpack and let it fall to the ground, cutting Kira off with a loud 'thud.' Naruto and Sasuke stopped their fighting momentarily to look around.

They had stopped in a small clearing surrounded by what must have been the Northern Konoha forest. It was late noon already, and the sun was shining brightly on the dusty ground. Perhaps survival training wouldn't be so tough after all…

"Hey sensei! Where's all the equipment?" Naruto scratched his head, looking behind trees and rocks for some sort of indication of a training area, "Isn't there s'posed to be an obstacle course or something?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes, "Idiot. He obviously brought us here for a mission."

Naruto stuck out his tongue, "Oh yeah? Well, if you're so smart, Sasuke, then what's our mission?"

"Your mission," Kakashi interrupted, "should you choose to accept it, will be one of pure agony. It will effectively judge your intelligence and strength in the most extreme situations and it will put the endurance of your body and soul to the ultimate test."

Kakashi tried to hide a smirk as the three wide-eyed, Genin leaned in closer, their jaws dropping in awe. He slowly reached into his pocket.

"This test will determine if you are truly prepared to accept the duties and responsibilities of a Genin. You have until the end of the day to complete this incredible task. Succeed, and you take a step closer to achieving your dream of becoming a true ninja. Fail, and you will be sent back to The Academy, never to be seen in the ninja world again."

"Your mission…" He whipped his hand out of his pocket and held the object in front of them, letting it dangle from his fist, "Is to take these from me."

Naruto, Sasuke, and Kira shrank back in disappointment.

"Bells?" Naruto raised an eyebrow, staring at the two silver bells dangling from the sensei's fist.

"You may use any weapon, nin-jutsu, taijitsu, or any form of attack to get these from me," He shook the bells slightly, letting the students hear the sound of their ring, "But the only way to succeed in this mission is to come at me with the intention of killing me."

Kira cocked her head, "Isn't that a bit dangerous, sensei?"

"For you? Yes. As for me…" He reached into his other pocket and pulled out a bright orange book with a large red slashed circle on the cover. He grinned beneath the mask, "I think I'll be alright."

"Aren't you forgetting one?" Naruto counted the bells on his fingers, "There're only two."

"No, this should be about enough," He eyed the three amateur ninja, "This way at least one of you is guaranteed a seat back at The Academy."

Almost simultaneously, Naruto, Sasuke, and Kira all looked at each other with a glare that, had it been backed by some powerful chakra, could've killed everyone on the spot. Any form of friendship that had been kindled between the students was completely extinguished at that very moment. It was every man for himself, just as the Great copy-nin had hoped for.

"Well, if you're all ready, then let's begin," He tied the bells to his waist then flipped to the page he had left off on. Kira glued her eyes to the silver bells. She wasn't going to let a ridiculous test like this keep her from fulfilling her dream. This was going to be a piece of cake.

"Ready…"

Kira moved her foot back slightly and wrapped her fingers around a kunai from the pouch at her waist.

"Set…"

She pushed off from the ground at full speed, arm outstretched, kunai heading straight for his jugular.

Perhaps it was a lack of sleep or a lack of food, but for some reason, those few seconds before she had collided with the copy-nin had all been a blur. Now she found herself trapped, facing her astonished peers, her back pressed firmly against Kakashi's chest and a kunai, the one that had once been within her own grasp only moments ago, now pressing against skin of her neck.

The situation was all too familiar.

"Patience, Miss Miyoko, I didn't say 'go'," He released her, flipping back to the page of his book, "That was a decent attempt, though. You came at me with a desire to kill." His eye creased, signifying one of those signature grins again, "Maybe I'll end up liking you guys after all."

The three continued to stare at him in silence.

"Oh, right," Kakashi watched as three hands simultaneously reached for a kunai, "Go!"

* * *

"Now, master?" 

"No, you fool," The man scowled beneath the shadow of his hood, "Hatake Kakashi is an elite Jounin. We must wait until he is distracted and the girl is alone. The opportunity may only come once. Keep a watchful eye."

The other ninja nodded and moved farther into the shadows. He couldn't risk making a mistake now that they were this close. He observed the battle from his tree, keeping his focus on the girl who was running at Kakashi from all directions. She was so weak, the copy-nin could stop her without lifting an eye from the page of his book.

The hidden ninja grinned. This was going to be easy.

Too easy.

* * *

"Never let your opponent get behind you," Kakashi repeated as he removed his kunai from Kira's neck for about the third time. As soon as she was out of the way, Naruto's fist and several shurikens came flying at his face. He sighed, dodging them easily. Half an hour had gone by and no one had inflicted a scratch on the silver-haired sensei, but the mission wasn't in vain – Kakashi had made some great progress on his reading. 

"Your current tactics are futile – stop wasting time," Kakashi sighed, casually sidestepping Sasuke's roundhouse kick, "If I may make a suggestion, one of the best ways to succeed in an assassination is to make yourself hidden to the target."

The three Genin were gone within moments, heading for the cover of the foliage. He grinned, "Much better. Now, use this time to formulate a different plan," He raised his voice so they could hear, "One that will actually work."

Of course, he could still sense the presence of the three little ninja and he knew exactly where they were, but he decided he might as well let them feel some form of accomplishment. That, and he had just started a new chapter in Ichi Ichi Paradise - he wouldn't want to risk missing any important details.

_Think, Kira, think!_

The little blonde ninja lay hidden in the shadows, hunched behind a large and exceptionally prickly bush. Kakashi wouldn't make this test impossible on purpose - he _couldn't_. It was against the rules.

Or was it?

Kira tried to shake the thought out of her head. She needed to focus.

_A jutsu? No, I already tried that. _

The only nin-jutsu she had really mastered was the sexy-no-jutsu. Another one of those obviously wasn't going to help.

_Physical combat?_

She winced at the idea of being at the mercy of her own kunai again. Who was she kidding? This was an elite Jounin verses some girl who had barely passed The Academy. This_ was_ impossible.

Just when she was about to give up all hope, she noticed a bright flash out of the corner of her eye.

_No way!_

Sitting alone in the world, free from Kakashi's grip and just begging to be picked up was the most beautiful silver bell Kira had ever seen. The long past spirits of Hokage really were smiling upon her! This was her chance! She bounded out of the bushes and bolted towards the bell. Every step was a step away from her filthy past and a step closer to the future. As soon as that bell was in her hands, life would be in her hands.

The target was even closer. She reached her hand out to grab it.

_Official Genin, here I come!_

Suddenly, Kira felt something wrap around her leg. She tried to keep moving forward, but her feet were pulled out from under her. She stretched her arm towards the bell, but it was getting farther away. No, wait, _she_ was getting farther away. In fact, she had completely left the ground.

"Good afternoon, Miss Miyoko," Kakashi appeared from the nearby foliage, grinning at the little blonde ninja now hanging upside down from a tree. If he had known this trap was so effective in catching young blonde females, he would've used it much more frequently in the past.

Kira crossed her hands over her chest, her face twisting into a deadly glare. Her cheeks were bright red with embarrassment, and all the blood rushing to her head didn't help.

"Remember," Kakashi bent down to pick up the untouched bell, "If the bait is obvious, don't take it."

As soon as he safely returned the bell to his belt loop, a foreign presence touched his senses. Someone was here – someone who shouldn't be here. He knew Kira would panic if she recognized his fear, so he remained casual. There were two people – no, three, four. He slowly slipped out a kunai and gradually turned around.

"GOTCHA!"

Aimed straight for him, equipped with shuriken and kunai of all sorts, was an army of twenty ramen-loving, jumpsuit-clad Narutos all screaming at the top of their lungs. Kakashi's eyes went wide with horror, not especially because of the impending attack, but rather because of the fact that the most annoying member of the team knew how to make shadow clones.

He dodged the trick with ease, using a simple body-swap jutsu. But the new students had taken his advice to heart, and as soon as he had recovered from the transformation, he found himself right in the path of one of Sasuke's fairly advanced fire jutsus. He moved out of the way in the nick of time, only to be met by another Naruto clone. Kakashi sighed. He was never going to get any reading done.

* * *

"Now, master?" The sly nin moved closer to the target, reaching for a kunai. 

His master grinned, "Now."

"Go get him, Naruto!" Kira cheered at the top of her lungs, although the battle had moved so far into the forest she was sure they couldn't hear her by now. The whole 'hanging-upside-down' thing was really starting to get to her, especially since it felt like all the blood in her body had settled in her head. She fished around for some sort of sharp tool in the pocket of her shorts, only to find that all her weapons had fallen to the ground during her upward flight. Grunting, Kira curled her body, trying to stretch her hand up towards the knot around her foot.

"Stupid Kakashi," She hissed between clenched teeth, tugging at the bounds furiously.

"Yes, it was a bit foolish of him to leave you here unattended."

Kira froze. Someone was behind her. His voice was deep and raspy and she could sense his powerful chakra.

"Sasuke, is that you?" She knew it couldn't be him, but at the same time, she wished more than anything that the answer would be 'yes.'

The dark voice chuckled, sending a shiver down Kira's spine.

"Who are you?!" She shouted, trying to sound brave. She was almost glad she wasn't facing her attacker so he couldn't see the look of pure horror on her face.

"My name is Sadakata, but that is of no importance," He spoke calmly, with an edge of entertainment in his voice, "The better question is, do you know who you are, Miyoko Kira?"

Kira gulped. She was sure no one knew her full name except Naruto and Kakashi. Well, at least no one from Konoha. The little blonde ninja had no idea what was going on, but she was sure it wasn't good. She was faced with a powerful, unknown adversary, hanging upside down from a tree, tied by her foot, and weaponless. There was only one thing she could do.

"KAKASHI! NARUTO! SASUKE!" She screamed at the top of her lungs, hoping with all her heart that they hadn't moved out of hearing range, "HELP!"

"That's quite enough," Sadakata slipped out a kunai and cut her down from the tree in one swift motion. Almost immediately, his gloved hand clamped over her mouth, muffling her screams and curses.

"Mfftt!" Kira grunted and bit his hand, using what remaining power had left to try and wriggle out of his grip.

"You're going to have to do better than that," He took off his glove and stuffed it in her mouth then threw her to the ground. Using the rope from the trap, he bound her flailing arms and legs then slung her over his back like a sack of rice.

Without giving the copy-nin another second to return, Sadakata signaled to his master in the trees, then together they bolted into the forest with their loud, squirming prize.

Sadakata grinned.

_Too easy._

* * *

_Thanks so much to the people who are still reading! It means so much to me! I'm really sorry this chapter took so long to publish, I should probably begin to cut my chapters down a bit. If you have any feeback, please share! I'll be using your suggestions to improve the next chapter._

_-To: Ivory-Wings-Stained-Red: Thanks so much for your comments - they're a HUGE help! Kira may have been kidnapped in this chapter, but I will try my best to make sure she doesn't turn into that dreaded 'Mary-Sue.' Thanks for catching that 'justu' spelling, I'll be sure to fix that. ._

_Thanks again for reading, everybody! Remember, all Naruto characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto! ;)_


	4. A Change of Plans

**Wow. I am so sorry that took so long. I need to stop procrastinating.**

**I was looking forward to writing this chapter, but now that I read over it, it seems a bit bland. The entire story turns around here, hopefully in a good direction, but only you guys can tell. If this really isn't working, please say so! I don't want anyone's eyes to bleed...**

**Oh! One more thing! It's important that you know this:**

**Takara - precious, treasure**

**takes a deep breath Here we go!**

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 4**

"_KAKASHI! NARUTO! SASUKE!"_

Naruto and his shadow-clone army froze just before striking the silver-haired target. Simultaneously, they titled their heads toward the faint noise.

"_HELP!"_

_That sounds sort of like…_

"Kira!" Naruto dismissed his clones in a puff of smoke, letting several kunai fall to the ground with a loud clang.

"Kakashi! We gotta get back!" He turned to face the man who would've been on the receiving end of his punch, "That sounds just like Kira-chan!"

But the silver-haired sensei was already gone.

_Could this be part of the test?_

"Naruto! He went this way!" Naruto spun around to see Sasuke rushing past, "Follow me!"

For a quick second, Naruto could've sworn he saw a glint of fear in the Uchiha's eyes. If Sasuke was worried, then this wasn't a test anymore. Something was wrong. Very wrong.

* * *

Kakashi was at the site of the crime faster than Naruto could go through a cup of ramen, but he was still too late. All that was left of Kira were several shuriken, some frayed ropes from the trap, and a few blonde hairs. 

_Damn it._

Without wasting another moment, the copy-nin bit his thumb and used the blood to form the signs for a summoning jutsu. Pakkon, his trustworthy pug, arrived on the scene within seconds.

"Afternoon, Kakashi," He plopped down on the ground and surveyed the vacant area, clearly confused by the lack of excitement.

Kakashi thrust the remaining bits of rope in front of his nose, "How far away is the girl?"

Pakkon sniffed the frays, "Almost a half a mile to the west, moving at approximately 18mph," He eyed the copy-nin suspiciously, "Don't tell me you lost a student again."

"Huh? Kira's lost?"

"Is this part of the mission?"

"What's going on?"

Naruto and Sasuke had appeared beside him. Kakashi rubbed his temples, trying to cool the upcoming frustration.

_I knew there was something strange about her. I should've paid more attention…_

But the Copy-nin didn't take long to weigh his mistakes. He had learned from many past experiences that reflecting on faults never helped on a mission. Time was of the essence, and it was running out fast.

Kakashi considered his options. Judging by the speed and location of the kidnappers, they were probably headed towards the Sand Village. If they crossed into the borders, retrieval would be impossible, so he had to act fast.

"Kaka-sensei! What should we do?"

Kakashi glanced at Sasuke and Naruto. He was never quite fond of company, and this was a perfect example of why. He couldn't send them back to the village to get help – they were too far away already and he was sure they didn't know the way back. He couldn't leave them here either, just in case another kidnapper was on the loose. He was left with only one option - an option he knew he was going to regret.

"Naruto, Sasuke," He sighed. He had no other choice.

"Follow me."

* * *

Kira tried to make sense of the blurry scenery passing by. From her position on Sadakata's back, all she could really make out were his sandals and the occasional tree branch. She had never been out of the village before, and she had no idea where she was. 

_Are they coming for me?_

She shifted in her bonds, not surprised to find that they hadn't loosened up. She wasn't going to be able to get out of this on her own.

_Kakashi sensei has to come…He's an elite Jounin…_

But luck was never in Kira's favor. A life on the street had taught her not to trust anyone – that the only real person she could depend on was herself. She got herself into this mess, and she was going to get herself out of it. She glanced at the ropes tying her hands.

_Now, if only there was some way to…_

She looked around, hoping to find something in the surrounding area that she could use to break her bonds.

_Let's see…Tree branch, leaf, caterpillar…_

She scanned Sadakata's back. Her eyes lit up.

_Bingo!_

Just a few inches below her hands, tied around Sadakata's waist in an open sack, were several kunai. All she had to do was reach her hand in and grab one without being caught. She had done it hundreds of times with wallets, so stealing a little kunai wouldn't be a problem. Kira was slung over his shoulder, so Sadakata wouldn't be able to see her reach into his pocket. All she had to do was make sure he didn't feel it.

Luckily, since her captors were running and she was flopping around all over the place anyways, her slight movement would go undetected. Slowly, she inched her tied hands into his pocket.

"Sir!" Sadakata stopped abruptly. Kira froze, "He's following us."

Kira let out a silent sigh of relief. Her captors couldn't see her. She grabbed a kunai.

"The Jounin? Yes, I know."

_Jounin? Did they mean Kakashi?_

"Yes, master, but he's also brought the other two students along."

Trying to be as quiet as possible, Kira began to rub the blade of the kunai against her bonds. Every now and then, she glanced at the surrounding forest, keeping her eyes wide open for a rustling bush or a flash of silver hair.

_Yes! It worked!_

The rope had frayed.

"Keep moving," His master chimed in, almost on queue, "They won't catch up with us. And even if they do…" His tone was suddenly humorous, "They don't stand a chance."

* * *

"But sensei! I really _really_ have to go!" 

"Naruto, for the last time, NO bathroom breaks!"

Kakashi couldn't believe what he was saying. How was he supposed to single-handedly defeat two full-grown nin and return Kira to Konoha in one piece while babysitting at the same time?

_This just like a more advanced bell test, _He thought to himself_, Only the target is a young blonde female who has mastered the sexy-no-jutsu technique._

She would've been a great incentive, if she hadn't been his _student_.

"Kakashi, we're making decent progress, but we need to pick up the pace," Pakkon turned to face him through the blur of trees, "The kidnappers will make it over the border in a little over a half an hour."

_Damn it. _

"Naruto! Sasuke! Speed it up."

"But Kaka-sensei, my legs…"

"Naruto, if we slow down you'll never see your friend again."

* * *

One strand left, all she had to do was cut the last bit of twine holding her wrists together and- 

"And just what do you think you're doing?"

Kira froze and dropped the kunai, but it was too late. Sadakata's master had appeared behind her.

"Sadakata, hold up a moment. It seems we have to re-secure our luggage."

His hood had been pushed down by the slight breeze, and his face was now clear in the late noon sun.

Kira's eyes went wide with disbelief.

"Yakushi Kabuto?!"

"Didn't anyone ever tell you, it's rude to speak to your elders without a proper honorific?"

"Kabuto! It's me – Kira, from Konoha!" She would've presented herself to him, had she not been locked in Sadakata's stone grip, "You must have mistaken me for someone else."

The Third may have found her constant thievery a nuisance, but surely he would never send ninja of his own to dispose of her. Kabuto was a ninja of the Konoha, and a good one at that.

_This is all just one big misunderstanding._

"Sada-san, tie her up – we've gotten this far, we can't risk losing her now," He leaned against a tree trunk and pulled out a scroll.

"No! Wait! Kabuto, listen, it's me! Miyoko Kira! You used to visit The Academy and teach medical jutsus! Remember? I was in Iruka's class! I sat in the back!"

She had many other examples of her run-ins with the young, four-eyed spy-nin, but before she could finish, Sadakata threw her to the ground.

"Hold still."

He began to remove another train of rope from his pocket, but instead of coming to her aid like any normal ally would, Kabuto continued to casually skim the scroll in his hands. It was a code of the village always to help a friend in need. Heck, Kakashi, the guy she just mugged, would help her in a situation like this. But Kabuto simply ignored her.

Something wasn't right. And usually that meant bad news.

"Sadakata, cut it out!" She kicked at him and tore the few remaining strands off rope off her hands, "Your master is my ally."

"Ally? Is that what they call it nowadays?" He moved closer to her, rope is his hands, grinning, "Did you hear that, Kabuto? You're an _ally_."

"I didn't know you were so naïve, Kira-san. You always seemed much more mature than your classmates," Kabuto sighed, "Oh well. I guess there's no need to protect innocence, especially in a thief."

She would've knocked Kabuto off the tree if Sadakata wasn't standing over her.

"Once you get older, you'll learn that 'friend' is actually quite a relative term. People are only worthy of friendship as long as their useful, and the same idea applies to alliances," He pushed his glasses into place, tucking the scroll back in his sleeve, "The Third has been trying very hard to hide this from everyone, but Konoha is no longer a village of…value. The Hidden Village of Sand is now a major power, so I must make new friends. And in order to earn their complete friendship I must bring them Konoha's most valuable asset," He grinned, finally making eye contact with her, "That would be you, Kira-san."

Kira suddenly couldn't focus on the scenery surrounding her. There were two men standing before her – Sadakata was a mere dark blur, but the other man, the silver-haired spy-nin pushing his glasses into place wasn't Kabuto. He was her worst enemy.

He was a traitor.

She was so entranced in focusing every bit of her energy into a dark stare that she didn't realize Sadakata was coming at her with the rope again. Almost instantly, she snapped her attention to the ninja. Kabuto suddenly perked up and yelled something at Sadakata, but she couldn't hear him.

"Stop her, _stop her_!"

Kira felt as if she was watching a scene from far away, a scene in a movie, slowed down and predictable. Sadakata's hand had grasped her wrist so tightly that his knuckles were turning white, but she couldn't feel it.

Then suddenly, it happened. A burst of energy, coming from deep within her gut, shot through her body. A tingling sensation burned through her limbs, as if begging her to move.

Kira jumped to her feet effortlessly. It was like she was floating. Sadakata came at her again, trying to get the rope around her wrists, but she dodged his attack perfectly. Her fingers curled into a fist almost instinctively, her body moving of its own accord. She saw her arm pull back, her fist move forward. She saw Sadakata's face twist into a cross between fear and amazement, then sheer pain when her fist collided with his cheekbone.

And then, just like that, everything returned to normal.

Kira stumbled forward, staring at the blood on her fist in disbelief. Something had come over her – something strange. She could still feel a bit of the tingling sensation in her fingers.

_Did I just…punch out a full grown man?_

She glanced at Sadakata apprehensively. He was bringing himself to his feet. One look at his eyes and she knew she was in for it.

That's what really sucked about miracles. They never lasted long enough.

But before Sadakata could tear out her throat, the traitor formerly known as Kabuto jumped in front of her and pinned her to the tree trunk.

"If you value your life, you won't do that again."

"My life suddenly has a value now?!" She burst. The frustration was impossible to restrain, "What the hell is going on?!"

Kabuto glared at her, crunching her wrists in his grip. If there was one thing he couldn't stand, it was insolence.

Kira winced, but still refused to give in. Summoning what was left of her courage, she whispered the unanswered question that had been burning through her mind for years.

"Who am I?"

* * *

"Kakashi, they've stopped, I'm not sure for how long," Pakkon turned around to face the Copy-nin, "If we use this time to our advantage we'll have a chance of catching up." 

Kakashi nodded, pushing his legs even faster, "Naruto, Sasuke – hurry up."

"But sensei…"

He ignored their moans and groans and tried to focus on the task at hand. Why, of all the people in Kononha, was Miyoko Kira kidnapped? It was understandable that she had enemies, but the guard had specifically said she had never left the village. Therefore, it was impossible for anyone outside of Konoha to have any knowledge of her.

_So why are they taking her to the Sand Country?_

He tried considering his other facts. What did he know about her? Not much, since her student record was missing. She was a thief and lived on the street, meaning her family was either neglectful or nonexistent. His student assignment sheet claimed she was a mediocre Genin, which he couldn't agree more with. But she was able to hold the sexy-no-jutsu for quite a while, much longer than any ordinary Genin. Maybe it wasn't just practice…

Suddenly, something hit him, and for once, it wasn't a branch. He almost stopped dead in his tracks. The kidnapping, the missing folder, the unusual chakra stability – it was all starting to make sense. Kakashi couldn't believe it, but it was the only plausible explanation.

_She's a Takara._

Like DNA, chakra had also evolved over the years. The chakra of today's ninja was much more efficient than that of the ninja that existed thousands of years ago. However, every few hundred years, DNA leapt forward. Those select few who had been born with this genetically evolved chakra were known as the Takara. One was born about every five generations, just by sheer chance. Takara tended to be outcasts because of their differences and two were almost never alive at the same time. Some people wanted to take advantage of the Takara's power, to mate with the Takara with the hopes of passing the advanced chakra DNA to their offspring. Others saw the Takara as a symbol of life's inequity. Either way, the Takara tended to be loners and tried to keep low profiles.

Kakashi shook his head. It couldn't be - the idea that a middling teenage thief girl like Kira was an evolved, superior Takara seemed ridiculous, but the evidence pointed to no other reason. It all made sense. It would explain why Kira wasn't allowed out of the village – The Third was trying to keep her identity unknown to the outside world so kidnappings like this wouldn't happen. It would explain why Kira was able to hold her jutsu much longer than anyone her age. It would also explain the kidnapping – if Kira was indeed a Takara, she was Konoha's most valuable asset. She had advanced chakra and there was a chance she could produce offspring with advanced chakra. She could start an entire evolved bloodline.

Kakashi moved his feet faster.

If he was right, this kidnapping didn't just put Kira's power in jeopardy. It put the power of the entire village in jeopardy.

* * *

"_What_?!" 

Kira was speechless. With all seriousness, Kabuto had just told her she was a Takara. She couldn't believe it. There was no possible way, "Kabuto, I'm telling you, you have the wrong person! It's me, Kira - the girl who tried to steal some change from you that one time…"

Kira shut her mouth.

_Perhaps that wasn't the best example._

Sadakata shook his head, "Why deny it? If I was in your position, I would accept within seconds."

Kira just stared at Sadakata like he was crazy, "I am NOT a Takara! If I was, I would've known a long time ago. It's just impossible!"

Kabuto laughed, "So you were also tricked by The Third's ridiculous scheme. No surprise there," He pushed his glasses into place, "Don't you realize, Konoha has been controlling your life. Everything bad that happens to you isn't just bad luck, it's all been planned. The Hokage has been trying to maintain your low profile ever since he and his ANBU members stole you away from the Sand Village in the beginning. He's been trying to-

"Wait, what?" Kira interrupted, ignoring Kabuto's furious glare, "I was never taken from the Sand Village. I've lived in Konoha my entire life!"

But even as she said it she could feel the doubt coming on.

Kabuto shook his head, "No, you are rightfully Sand Village property. You were born and bred in the Miyoko Clan family of the Sand Country, but at age five you were kidnapped by ANBU soldiers, taken from your family, and taken to Konoha. Ever wonder why you had no family in the Leaf Village? There were several times when the Sand Village tried to take you back, and there have been several people before me who have given you a speech like this before, but The Third used special memory-erasing jutsus on you to prevent you from retaining any information about your identity and your formal life."

Kira didn't want to believe him, but everything he was saying made sense. She could never remember anything past her 10th birthday, and even the stuff up to there were mere bits and pieces of memories. With a sudden shock, she realized that all the flashbacks she had been having lately weren't just dreams, they were real.

Kabuto stared her down, "You see why I left these people? They're traitors – look what they've done to you. How can you call the people who have stolen you from your family and forced you to live on the street your 'friends'? You should go back to your homeland. Join us, and reach your full potential."

Kira would've sent her fists flying into his face if she hadn't been pinned up against the tree. She didn't want to believe what he was saying – any of it. Konoha had been her home as far as she could remember – which was up till about age ten. As far as she knew, it was the only home she had. Her friends were here.

_Or were they?_

"They're not your friends," Kabuto spoke as if he could read her mind, "Your friends wouldn't hurt you like this."

"Yeah," Sadakata cut in, "If they cared about you, they would've been here by now."

He came at her with the rope again, but this time she didn't fight back. Now that she knew these were her people, she _couldn't_.

She had always wanted to know who she was. This was the only way.

Suddenly, a kunai shot through the trees, slicing through the rope with one clean swipe. Kira instantly snapped her head in the direction the sharp, silver marvel had come from, but nothing was there. Out of the corner of her eye she could've sworn she saw an oddly shaped patch of smoky-white hair.

Kira smiled.

_Kakashi._

"Forget the rope!" Kabuto was panicking, "Just get the girl and lets go!"

But before he could make another move, he was interrupted by an arm around his throat. The Copy-nin had made his entrance.

"Too late," Kakashi hissed, pulling another kunai from his belt, "Give me one reason why I shouldn't kill you right now," He pressed the blade against Kabuto's neck, "A traitor deserves no mercy."

Suddenly, Sadakata's fist came flying at Kakashi's face. Kakashi dodged it easily, but lost a hold of Kabuto. As soon as the traitor was free, he flew off into the forest without so much as a backwards glance, leaving Sadakata alone to fend for himself.

Kakashi clenched his fists with frustration. There was nothing he hated more than a traitor, and fighting Kabuto would satisfy his sudden lust for revenge. But he knew he couldn't chase after him – he couldn't leave his students to fight Sadakata by themselves.

He turned to Sadakata, who was staring at the spot where he master should've been with disbelief.

"That's what happens when you put your trust in a traitor," Kakashi grinned, pulling his forehead protector up to reveal his sharingan, "Perhaps _you_ have enough honor left to fight me."

* * *

Kira was so immersed in the heat of the battle that she didn't notice the noises coming from the branches above her. 

"Psst! Kira! Over here!"

"Shhh Naruto! Not so loud! The enemy will hear you!"

"Well, how else are supposed to get her attention?"

Kira looked up to see the faces of Naruto and Sasuke staring down at her.

"Take it," Sasuke reached out his hand, "Quickly."

Kira glanced at the fight to make sure Sadakata was well distracted.

"Kakashi will be fine – now hurry up before they see us."

Kira didn't even realize she had been starring at Kakashi. With one more backwards glance, she grabbed Sasuke's hand and he hoisted her up.

* * *

"What did you want with the girl?" Kakashi's voice was calm, even in the midst of battle, "She's of no use to you." 

Sadakata ignored him and tried to focus on the fight. He had already used up half his chakra without inflicting a single scratch on the copy-nin.

_Kabuto! Why did you leave me here?_

But rather than dedicating his thought to vain complaint, he should've concentrated on defending himself. Without much effort, Kakashi had cornered Sadakata against a tree.

"I'll ask you again," He pulled out several kunai, aiming them for Sadakata's neck, "Why did you kidnap Kira?"

Sadakata looked around him, desperately hoping to find someway he could squeeze out of this. There was nothing. He was completely trapped. Now he was only left with two choices - he could either betray his homeland and be taken back to Konoha as a hostage or he could preserve his honor and die here on the spot. Kakashi was coming closer, his kunai glinting in the evening light. Sadakata closed his eyes and sighed.

"She's a Takara."

Even though Kakashi had considered it before, it was still hard to digest. But Sadakata wasn't done there, "She's a Takara of the Sand Village, she was stolen away from us years ago. It's our rightful duty to take her back."

Kakashi paused. _Takara of the Sand Village?_ He remembered hearing something about an ANBU mission to capture a dangerous Takara in the Sand Village when he was young, but he had always thought it was just a rumor.

_The Third is much better at hiding the truth than I thought._

"You've followed my orders, so I'll spare your life. But you've just betrayed your own country by giving me this information," Kakashi picked up the rope at his feet. He might not have be able to take revenge on Kabuto, but there was another traitor in his midst.

Sadakata's eyes went wide with horror.

* * *

"You're a Takara?!" Naruto's jaw had dropped so far Kira was sure it would fall off, "Why didn't you tell me?" 

Kira was just as exasperated, "I didn't know!"

"I don't believe it," Sasuke crossed his hands over his chest, "How could you be a Takara? You don't even know a decent jutsu."

"I know!" Kira threw her hands up in the air, "He must have mistaken me for someone else."

"Yeah," Sasuke continued to scrutinize her, looking her up and down for some sort of indicator.

Naruto, however, was concerned about more important things, "This isn't fair!" He whined, "That's why you always beat me in the Sexy-no-jutsu contests! Cheater!"

* * *

Kakashi brushed the dirt off his clothes and admired his work. Sadakata sat before him, tied to the tree trunk. He was yelling something, but the cloth blocking his mouth caused it to come out as nothing more than an indistinguishable mumble. 

Kakashi pocketed the stolen documents he had retrieved from Sadakata in the struggle. They were Kira's student records, and he was thankful to have them back.

"When your master returns, _if_ he returns, I'm sure he'll ask you why you're still alive. And won't he be pleased to hear that you gave up the secrets of your entire village for your own life."

"Yomfft wamnt goff!"

But Kakashi didn't stick around to translate Sadakata's muffled insults. He ran through the forest and found the tree where he had asked Naruto and Sasuke to take Kira. As he approached the tree he crosses his fingers, silently praying that the two young nin hadn't screwed up the plan.

"Sensei!"

He sighed with relief as the three Genin came bounding towards him.

"Thanks Kakashi," Kira appeared beside him, smiling. He grinned back at her, although he was sure she couldn't see it under the mask.

No matter how many people confirmed it, he still couldn't picture her as a Takara.

* * *

They hadn't even made it halfway home when the sun had fallen behind the trees. The sky was darkening, and their remaining hours of daylight were sparse. It was still a ways to go to Konoha, so Kakashi decided they would camp in the forest for the night. He had only one sleeping roll in his pack, so he let the three little ninjas use it as a blanket. As his students prepared for bed, Kakashi prepared a fire so he could keep warm, and so he could use the light to catch up on some reading. 

"There is no way I'm sleeping next to that pig."

"_I'm_ a pig? You're the one who smells funny!"

Kakashi winced as he watched Naruto and Sasuke have an epic tug-of-war battle over his only sleeping roll. Kira also seemed to notice that her chance for a comfortable rest was in jeopardy, so she stepped in.

"Calm down, you guys. I'll just sleep in the middle."

The two boys paused and looked from her to their sensei. Kakashi also looked a bit taken aback, but he knew it was the only way to get them to go to sleep. Basic logic told him it wasn't a good idea to let a young, blonde teenage girl sleep in-between two teenage boys, but it looked like this was the only to get them to shut up.

After about a half an hour of pushing, shoving, and the exchange of several very ominous glares between Naruto and Sasuke, the three students were finally able to get in bed. Kakashi made sure to keep a very wary eye on the sleepers as he sat by the fire. The two boys had passed out within seconds of hitting the sack, but Kira couldn't fall asleep. There was something on her chest, and thankfully it wasn't Naruto or Sasuke.

"Kakashi-sensei?" Kakashi looked up from his reading to see the little blonde poking her head out from between the two boys. He sighed.

_Real life really needs to stop looking like the pages in Ichi-Ichi Paradise._

"Yeah?"

Kira looked down nervously, "Sorry about the thing last night. I…I was hungry, and I needed some money and I…"

"Don't worry about it," Kakashi turned a page in his book, "Next time you're hungry, just tell your parents. I'm sure they'd be glad to help you out."

"Family…heh…well…about that…," Kira scratched the back of her head, embarrassed, "You see…I don't really…have one. Well, one that I know about, anyways." She always hated admitting it; people always treated her differently after they found out. Naruto was the only other person who understood. Kira and Naruto were best friends not just because they both loved ramen, but mainly because they both wanted the same thing – to be treated like normal people.

Kira sighed, _With this new Takara business, I wonder if it's even possible to be anywhere near normal._

"Do you need a place to stay?"

"Huh?" Kira jumped. She had almost forgotten Kakashi was there.

"When we get back I'll talk to The Third and see what I can do for you. Now that your secret is out, there's no need for Sandaime to maintain your low-profile," Kakashi poked at the fire with a stick. He had given up on reading.

Kira sighed, "Are you sure what Kabuto said is true? Has The Third really been making my life horrible on purpose?" She propped her chin up with her hands and stared at the silver-haired copy-nin, "He used to be my hero, y'know."

"I'm sure he never meant to harm you – The Third would never do something like that," For a split second, he met her eyes, "People will go to extremes to protect the Takara."

Kira stared into the fire, thinking about what he had said. Even though it didn't seem to make any sense now, Kakashi must have been right. He was just one of those people who always seemed to be right.

Kakashi looked at the blonde girl staring into the flames. There was something about her that was hauntingly familiar, something he couldn't quite put his finger on. It had been bugging him ever since the beginning of the trip. He had hoped it would've gone away by now, but it was only getting worse.

Kira's eyes slowly trailed away from the fire and towards her new sensei. She almost laughed at herself for trying to steal from him the other night. His arms were so strong, his shapely muscles visible in the faint moonlight. She didn't stand a chance.

Suddenly, Kira realized she was admiring her sensei's build. She looked away immediately, startled by her own actions, and pulled Kakashi's blanket over her head so she wouldn't look back.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow at the blanketed mass that was once Kira.

"You should get some rest."

"Yeah," Kira couldn't agree more. She knew crazy things could happen when she didn't get enough sleep, but she had never guessed she'd be crazy enough to think her sensei was attractive.

Moving her thoughts elsewhere, Kira tried to find a comfortable spot in-between the drooling Naruto and the snoring Sasuke. Without much luck, she lay on her back and was about to close her eyes, when suddenly she remembered something.

"Oh! Sensei!"

Kakashi sighed, "Yes?"

"Did we pass?"

For a second, Kakashi had no idea what she was talking about. Then it all came back to him. A moment of silence passed as the Copy-nin considered his answer.

This entire mission had started out as their Genin Exam. He had never passed a student before, but this was different. These kids may not have passed his test, but they had worked together to rescue a legendary Takara.

_That's gotta count for something._

"Congratulations," His visible eye creased at the corners, "You are now Miyoko Kira, an official Genin of the Konoha Leaf Village."

Kira plopped back down on the bedroll, unable to wipe the smile off her face. Suddenly, the cold ground and the two loud teenage boys next to her didn't seem such a curse. Grinning, she closed her eyes and wrapped herself tightly in what was left of Kakashi's blanket. Then, snuggling between the body warmth of Naruto and Sasuke, she fell fast asleep.

As soon as he was sure she was asleep, Kakashi took Kira's stolen student records out of his pocket. Students weren't allowed to see their own records until they hit twenty-one, for security purposes, but right now Kakashi was more concerned with this Takara business. Although he had already been given a confession by the enemy, he still wasn't completely convinced. He needed to see it on paper.

_Miyoko, Kira_

_Age: 16_

_Birthplace: Wind Country, Village of Sand_

_Alliance: Fire Country, Konoha Village_

_Bloodline/Clan: Takara_

_Skills: High chakra levels_

_Other: Kidnapped from Sand Village at young age, identity must be made unknown so Sand Village and/or other foreign villagers will not take her back._

There it was. Proof. Now, Kakashi had no doubt that she was indeed a Takara. He was about to turn the page when he noticed a note written in shorthand at the bottom of the page. Kakashi could recognize that handwriting anywhere. It was Sandaime's.

_-Kakashi_

_As I'm sure you've already guessed, I assigned you as Kira's sensei because you've never passed a single student. Since we are trying to keep her identity unknown, you understand that it's very important that you don't let her pass your Genin test. I'm sure that won't be a problem for you._

_Sorry this is so short notice._

_-The Third Hokage, Sandaime_

Kakashi closed the folder, suppressing a sudden urge to throw it in the fire. He had let a student get kidnapped, let a traitor escape, and let a Takara become an official Genin all in one day. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath as he considered the disastrous consequences awaiting him on his return to Konoha.

_The Third will have my head for this._

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**Thank you so much for reading:)**


	5. WHAT!

**Gahh! hits self in head with a frying pan I just keep getting worse and worse at this updating thing. With drama club, and work, and school, and mid terms coming up, it's been forever since I've done anything with my account. Thank you so much for putting up with my slow pace, everyone! But thank you even more for all your reads! I've never had this many favorites, comments, and alerts on a story before, and everytime I come on here and see this, it totally makes my day! Thanks so much, everybody:)**

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**Chapter 5**

"You did WHAT?!"

"Iruka, please, just let me see Sandaime."

The usually timid school-teacher was now furious, "Kakashi, you can't qualify a stolen Takara as a Genin! Now she'll be going on missions and she'll be acknowledged by ninja all across the country! Did you forget that her existence is supposed to be a _secret_?!"

"I'll discuss it with The Third," Kakashi sighed, motioning for Iruka to move away from the door, "Please."

"You can't go in there! Not after what you've done!"

"Ahem," The guardian of the Hokage's office, who had been a witness to the argument for a good ten minutes now, decided it was time to intervene, "With all due respect, Iruka-san, it's my duty to permit anyone into this room who so pleases."

"Of course, of course," Iruka shook his head, "I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me." Reluctantly, he stepped aside, giving Kakashi one last glance before allowing him to open the door.

The room was small, lit only by candles and a few open windows. Intricate scrolls for some jutsus even he had never even seen before lined the walls and almost appeared to glow in the candlelight. The room smelled of tea and incense. In the center of the room, at a small desk sat the legendary Hokage. Physically, he appeared frail and worn, but Kakashi knew that he was much more powerful than his old body gave him credit for.

"Hatake Kakashi," The Third didn't even have to look up, "You spent a lot longer in the Northern Konoha Forest than I expected. Must have been some beautiful weather."

Kakashi wasn't here for small talk, he was going to get straight to the point.

"Sir, I believe Kira should be accepted as a Genin."  
The Third took a large swig on his pipe and sat back in his seat, looking Kakashi over to make sure he was serious.

"Do you understand the consequences of allowing her to become an official ninja?"

"I do, and trust me sir, I've put a lot of thought into this," He stared The Third in the eyes, "She already knows she a Takara – the secret is out."

"Her identity has been revealed to her many times in the past, but thanks to memory-erasing jutsus, we've been able to keep her from retaining such knowledge," Sandaime blew smoke out of his nostrils, "We can do the same in this situation."

"Continuing to erase her memory will only further her disadvantage, especially now that other villages know."

The wizened Hokage raised an eyebrow, "Other villages know?"

"Yes," Although he hated admitting his mistakes, the Copy-nin maintained composure, "One man from the Sand Village and Kabuto of the Leaf Village attempted to abduct Kira during my Genin exam. We stopped the perpetrators before they got too far, but, unfortunately, Kabuto escaped."

"Kabuto? A traitor?" The old man stared at his desk, letting the news sink in, "I'll send for retrieval team at once."

"I'm afraid that won't be enough. There's no telling who else the Sand Village has told. Other villages will be coming for her soon. She must be taught how to protect herself," He paused, "We have the most powerful weapon, and everyone knows it – even you. We don't have to hide her anymore."

The Third, who was usually quick and decisive, was quiet for a long time.

"I knew this day would come eventually," He spoke slowly, as if still thinking the entire situation over in his head, "You leave me no other choice. Kira will be allowed to accept the duties of a Genin-ranked ninja."

Kakashi sighed with relief. Now the girl would be safe and so would his career, "Thank you, sir." He turned to leave, but Sandaime stopped him.

"Wait, Kakashi, you're not out of this mess yet," He motioned for Kakashi to return, "A Takara needs a guardian and you are the only Jounin who currently knows of Kira's status."

_No, no, no, no…_

"If Kira is to accept the duties of a Genin, she'll need a guardian, and it's only fitting that her guardian is her sensei. That means you never let her out of your sight."

Kakashi winced as he saw his entire life go down the drain. There was only one thing the Copy-nin was worse at than teaching, and that was babysitting. He had to find some way out of this.

"But Sandaime-san, she lives on the street," Kakashi tried to find something that would change his mind, "How am I to guard her if she's homeless?"

"If I'm not mistaken, there's a room somewhere in the Jounin dorm that has been unoccupied for quite some time now," The Third began flipping through some papers on his desk, "Ah yes, here it is. Second floor, room 12. She can live there for now, that way she'll be surrounded by experienced Jounin at all times."

Kakashi's eyes went wide with fear. He had lived in the dorms on the edge of town ever since he lost his own family. Asuma and Genma had a room there, but so did…Jiraiya. In short, it was no place for a young teenage girl.

But that wasn't the worst of his worries. Kira was his student and was supposed to think of him as an honorable man. This meant no more stumbling home drunk into the apartment, no more parties with the beautiful kunochi from the women's dorm, and, worst of all, no more open discussions of Ichi Ichi Paradise at the dinner table. But what _really_ had him worried was the fact that the empty room Sandaime was referring was the room right next to his.

"That's all I ask, Kakashi," He stood up from his desk and opened the door, "Just remember, if anything goes wrong, we erase her memory again and start from scratch."

"Yes sir, it won't be a problem."

_It's going to be a disaster._

Kakashi left before Sandaime give him another task. Or death sentence. Whichever came first.

* * *

"WHAT?!"

Kakashi winced. It was the second time today that response had been emitted dangerously close to his ear drums.

"What Sandaime says goes," He sighed, "Unfortunately, you have no other choice."

"You have _GOT_ to be kidding me! Who the hell does Sandaime think he is?! Would _he_ sleep in the same house with fifty horny old men!"

Kakashi winced, "Not fifty, only four. And just because Asuma has facial hair, Jiraiya is overweight, and my hair is silver is doesn't mean we're old."

"Yeah, but you can't deny the horny part," She nodded towards the well-used copy of Ichi Ichi Paradise jutting out of his pocket.

Kakashi hung in his in defeat.

"Look, I'm sorry," Kira kept forgetting that this was her sensei she was talking to, "It's just that…I don't think this is such a good idea."

"I couldn't agree with you more."

"Then let's do something about it!" Her anger was immediately replaced with sheer determination - determination to get them out of this mess.

"Let's see," She stroked her chin, staring at the ground beneath her feet, "Did you try talking to Sandaime?"

Kakashi nodded, "When he makes a decision, there's no convincing him otherwise."

"Right…How about a bribe? I don't have much, but I'm sure if you and I combined our savings and-

Kakashi cut her off before she could go any further, "Let's go over all of our _legal_ options first."

"Heh…Of course," Kira rubbed the back of her neck nervously. She had forgotten she was in the midst of a morally sound citizen. Well, if you could call a hentai addict trained in the art of killing people 'morally sound.'

"How about the women's dorm? They must have an empty room or two!"

"Nope, already checked," Well, actually he hadn't. But as his first step towards an honorable guardian, Kakashi decided _not_ to let Kira know that he had memorized the women's dorm layout, "All the rooms are occupied."

"Damn it," Kira stared at the ground, kicking at a pebble in frustration "The Third has really put some thought into this one."

"Hmm," Kakashi was also staring at his feet, not because he was dismayed at the fact that they would be trapped in an incredibly awkward partnership for the rest of their lives, but rather because of what she had just said.

_Sandaime's plan does seem a bit more …'unconventional' than usual. _He thought to himself_, It's also pretty foolproof for something that he conjured up in five minutes._ Kakashi stroked his chin. He hated to doubt the integrity of his own Hokage, but the situation was very unlike Sandaime. It was almost a bit…suspicious.

Taking advantage of the silence, Kira stole a quick glance at her silver-haired sensei and tried to read his thoughts. It was a bit difficult, considering that mysterious mask covered half his face, but one look in the eyes and she knew exactly what he was thinking. Something was bothering him – something big. The only question was _what_.

Kira didn't know how to look on the bright side of a mortal damnation, but the least she could do was try.

"Maybe it won't be so bad," She gave him a sideways grin, "At least we both agree on something! That's a good start, right?"

"Yeah," Kakashi paused his thinking for a moment to look at her. He was surprised to see that her smile wasn't just for consolation - it was genuine.

"I mean, it'll definitely be better than before. Well, at least for me," She paused, suddenly realizing how selfish she had been for thinking that this situation would only effect her. She rubbed the back of her neck, ashamed at her own selfishness, "Sorry I got you into this mess, sensei."

"Don't worry about it – it's not your fault," Kakashi sighed, realizing yet another thing he couldn't tell her - the fact that all this was all due to his screw ups.

"There must be some way," Kira thought outloud, "I mean, some way we can make the best of it."

She was quiet for a moment, and Kakashi glanced over at her. Her eyes were focused on the ground, like she was elsewhere. The poor kid must've seen this as a blessing compared to what she usually had to go through everyday. For the first time, the Copy-nin actually felt sorry for her. It may have been the first time he felt sorry for anybody.

Suddenly, Kira had an epiphany.

"Hey sensei, can Naruto come?"

Within seconds, Kakashi's expression of sympathy was replaced by one of pure shock. But no matter how much this girl continued to put his nonchalant attitude in jeopardy, his façade would never fail.

"Sorry," He blinked, "Did you say Naruto?" _I thought you wanted to make things better._

"Yeah – he could use a good home," She stopped Kakashi before he could say no, "Naruto and I are good friends – I'd feel a lot more comfortable with him there. Besides, if Naruto and I are always hanging out, we won't get in your way."

Kakashi was about to shake his head, but then he stopped. It sounded crazy at first, but she did have a point.

"You promise you won't get in our way? Either of you?"

"Promise."

Kakashi grinned, "It's a deal."

Maybe this mortal damnation thing wouldn't be so bad after all.

* * *

Genma gnawed on the stick between his teeth, smirking, "How'd you convince Sandaime to let a fine young woman like Miss Miyoko live in the all-men's dorm?"

"For the last time," Kakashi rubbed his temples with impatience, "I didn't invite her to stay with us – Sandaime is _forcing_ her to live here. And she is _not_ a woman. She's my _student_."

Jiraiya grinned, "But she's young, none the less."

"You two have obviously never had a female student," Asuma was leaning up against the wall, his hands in his pockets, "Trust me, it's not what you think. All they can talk about is makeup and diets and boys."

Genma shrugged, "Talking or not, Ino still has one fine ass."

Jiraiya raised his hand, "I second that!"

"You two are perverts," Asuma was off the wall, fists curled and ready, "I swear, someday I'll-

"We don't have time for this," Kakashi stepped between them, "My point is, there will be a young woma-…_girl_ staying with us for quite some time, so we need try and act like proper gentlemen.".

"First, lets lay down some ground rules - starting with you," He pointed to the brown-haired ANBU officer on the other side of the room, "Don't you dare try to seduce her, Genma - there are plenty of other women for that."

"True, true," At the mere mention of 'women,' Genma grinned and stared off into space. Kakashi wasn't sure what he was thinking about, but he had a pretty good idea that it looked a lot like a page in Makeout Paradise.

Ignoring him, the Copy-nin turned around to face his next target, "Asuma - make sure you don't mention _any_ of this to Kurenai. She's very protective of you, and if she sees you associating with any member of the opposite sex, student or not, the safety of you and our new guest could be in jeopardy."

"I don't know why you keep bringing her up – there's nothing going on between us," Asuma protested, although his face began to turn a slight shade of pink, "We're just good friends! I swear!"

"Right," Kakashi moved on, "As for you, Jiraiya, please, no goggling. If you're going to stare at her chest, do it at quick, random intervals to ensure she doesn't notice."

"Fine by me!"

"And if I find her listed in _any_ of your 'research' citations, I'll never read your novels again."

"Understood."

"Alright," The Copy-nin scanned the room with his one visible eye, "I think that just about covers everyone."

"Not everyone," Genma crossed his hands over his chest, "From what I've heard, this kid is a blonde. Am I right?"

Three pairs of eyes suddenly glanced at him, anticipating the answer. Kakashi looked at the ground, "…Yeah."

"Ohhh, a blonde," Genma teased, "So what's _your_ rule gonna be, sensei? No getting hard when she runs her hands through her hair?"

"How many times do I have to tell you - she's my _student_," Kakashi restrained an urge to punch out his teeth. He had to remember that Genma was only being an asshole because he had a hangover.

"I don't know, Kakashi," Asuma gave him a wary looking, "Remember what happened to that blonde waitress at the bar last week?"

"I was drunk," Kakashi sighed, "Besides, she was twenty-something - Kira isn't even seventeen."

"That never stopped me," Jiraiya mumbled.

Genma shook his head, "I don't know what's up with you and this crazy obsession with blondes, but you've gotta get over it. Red heads are much more fun."

"But red heads are so hard to find!" Jiraiya argued, "Brunettes are always in abundance!"

"I dunno," Asuma stroked his chin, "I'm a bit partial to women with black hair."

"Kurenai has black hair."

"She does not!"

"Oh yes she does."

"What are you trying to get at?"

"I don't know. But I know what _you're_ trying to get it _in_."

"That's it! You ass is MINE!"

When Kakashi was confident that they were fully immersed in their exceptionally violent conflict over Asuma's lovelife, he slipped out of the hallway and into the dorm's tiny kitchen. He thought he heard knocking, then realized it was probably just Asuma slamming his fist into something. Sighing, he sat down at the table, stirring some tea that he had left to cool before discussing the Kira situation with his less-than-honorable roommates. The discussion had taken much longer than expected and the tea was cold. Kakashi didn't mind. He didn't feel like pulling his mask down to drink anyways. He couldn't let anyone see the panicked expression on his face.

Kakashi had known a lot of women in the past (and not just in the archaic sense), but there was something strange about this girl. There was something about her – maybe her face, or her attitude, or her name – something that reminded him of a time long ago. Maybe he had just read about it somewhere, or maybe he just had a random hallucination on one of those drunken nights when he and Asuma would lounge around the bar. Or maybe it was just the fact that she was a blonde, like so many other women he had been close to in the past.

_Genma is right, _The Copy-nin thought to himself, _This obsession gets me into too much trouble. How did I even develop it in the first place?_

"Naruffttt…jusfftt uhh!"

Kakashi glanced around the room – he could've sworn he just heard a voice.

"Ahm gonna do mmit!

He stood up and cupped his ear. He would've been able to recognize where the sound was coming from any other day, but all the screaming he had been exposed to today had left his hearing useless.

"NO!"

Now _that_ he heard. It was coming from the front door. Kakashi bolted forward and reached for the handle.

But he was just a second too late.

The front door came crashing to the floor, carrying the hinges and part of the wall with it. The silver-haired Copy-nin sidestepped the door with only moments to spare. Jiraiya, Asuma, and Genma, alarmed at the noise, came rushing into the room. Together, the four assassin roommates readied their weapons and prepared to punish the perpetrators now immerging from the dust and rubble.

"Hey guys…"

Kakashi lowered his fists and squinted at the figure before him. Blonde hair, green eyes, and ridiculously matured body. There was absolutely no way she could be only sixteen.

"Welcome, Miss Miyoko," He paused, "What the hell did you do to the door?"

"Well…we tried knocking…but there was no answer, so-

"HEY! You better not be taking credit for my awesome kick!" Naruto suddenly appeared between Kakashi and Kira, his face glowing with pride.

"Did you see that sensei?! The whole door went down! In just one kick. That was totally me!"

"Naruto," Kakashi pressed his forehead, for about the fifth time today, only to realize once again that it did nothing to cool the frustration, "There is a time and place for everything, and this is neither."

Genma eyed the boy in the bright orange jumpsuit with disgust, "You never told us _he_ was coming."

* * *

"Well, then," The man tapped his thin, pale fingers on the table - the only thing visible in the pale candlelight, "What's the update?"

"It's working out even better than we planned," The officer who had been guarding the Hokage's office before now stood before his true master, smirking, "Her Genin-approval files will be valid as of tomorrow and her new team consists of Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke."

"I couldn't have asked for a better setup," The man grinned, revealing unnaturally sharp teeth, "And what is the status on her housing?"

The traitor unrolled a stolen map of the Jounin dorm on the table, "Room 12 is upstairs, farthest from the other occupants. The only Jounin upstairs is Hatake Kakashi, but, according to our records, he leaves the dorm early every morning."

"Hmm…Kakashi…I've heard of him before. Will he pose a threat?"

"Not if the girl is alone, Orochimaru-san."

"And will she be alone?"

"Our spies indicate that she is with the Uzumaki kid most of the time, but in Room 12, she's always unaccompanied."

"Wonderful," Orochimaru stroked the map rendition of Kira's room with his black, pointed fingernails, "We have the girl. Now all we have to do is get the boy."


End file.
